Larry Hyde and Hyde Vineyards: A Carneros Grower’s Story

Hyde Vineyards is a family-owned grape grower and winery in the Carneros district of Napa County, founded by Larry Hyde in 1979. It now farms more than 200 planted acres across several Carneros properties, sells fruit to more than 35 wineries, and makes its own estate wines at a winery on Los Carneros Avenue that opened to visitors in 2017.

Larry Hyde is also co-founder, with Aubert de Villaine of Burgundy, of HdV, a separate winery that makes wines from Hyde Vineyards fruit. His story is a useful lens on Carneros itself: how a cool, windy stretch of pasture and orchards at the top of San Pablo Bay became one of California’s best-known sources of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and what that history means for anyone thinking about vineyard land there today.

How Hyde Vineyards started

According to the family, Larry Hyde planted his first vines in 1979 on about 100 acres of pasture and fruit orchards in Carneros. The first harvest from those vines came in 1983. The Napa Valley Register reported that he suffered a stroke in 1982, just as the vineyard was coming into production, which left his left side paralyzed. He kept farming.

The operation grew in stages. The family’s own timeline lists these properties:

Larry and his wife, Beta, who is originally from Lublin, Poland, met in Burgundy while picking grapes. She is listed as a co-founder and helped design the tasting room. The family says Larry is now retired.

A grower first

For most of its history Hyde has been best known as a grower whose vineyard name appears on other wineries’ labels. The family says it sells fruit to more than 35 wineries. Vineyard-designated wines carry the grower’s name to buyers, and that has made “Hyde Vineyard” a familiar line on Carneros Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

When the Napa Valley Grapegrowers named Larry Hyde its 2020 Grower of the Year, the group cited his early experiments with vine spacing, row orientation and clones that had not been tried in Carneros, and his donation of 45 clones from 10 varieties to the UC Davis Foundation Plant Services collection. That kind of plant material work matters to the whole industry, because it preserves vine selections that might otherwise be lost.

The vineyard today participates in Napa Green Land, Napa Green Winery and Fish Friendly Farming, three sustainability certification programs used widely in Napa County.

Carneros: why the place matters

Los Carneros was established as an American Viticultural Area in 1983, and it is unusual because it spans two counties, Napa and Sonoma. Its position at the north end of San Pablo Bay brings fog and steady afternoon wind, which keeps temperatures moderate. Those conditions suit Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine grapes.

Larry Hyde was part of that story too. He was a founding member of the group that petitioned for the Los Carneros AVA and a founding director of the Carneros Quality Alliance, according to the Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ award announcement as reported locally.

For buyers, the AVA name on a parcel affects what a winery will pay for the fruit and how the land is valued. Our guides to Napa Valley appellations and Sonoma County wine appellations explain how the AVAs differ.

From grapes to estate wines

The family planted the estate vineyards in 2006 and released its first estate Pinot Noir with the 2009 vintage. Chardonnay followed in 2012, Merlot in 2014, and Syrah and Viognier in 2016. Construction of the estate winery began in the mid-2010s, and it opened to the public in August 2017. Alberto Rodriguez has been winemaker since 2017.

HdV is a separate venture. Larry Hyde and Aubert de Villaine, co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti for decades, founded it in 2000; the two families are related by marriage. HdV’s winery is at 588 Trancas Street in Napa, and the family lists Chris Hyde, Larry’s son, as its general manager and director of viticulture.

Visiting Hyde Vineyards and HdV

• Hyde Vineyards Estate: 1044 Los Carneros Avenue, Napa. Tastings are by reservation only, in small groups. Check the winery’s site for current days, times and pricing.
• HdV: 588 Trancas Street, Napa. Visits are by appointment; contact the winery directly.

Both sit within a short drive of the city of Napa, which makes Carneros an easy first or last stop on a valley trip. Our Napa Valley itinerary for first-time visitors has more ideas for planning a day.

What Hyde’s story tells vineyard buyers

Hyde Vineyards grew over four decades, one property at a time. That is a realistic model for most vineyard owners. A few practical lessons:

• Site comes first. Wind, fog, soil and water decide what you can grow well. A strong reputation is built on a site that suits the variety.
• Fruit contracts are a business. Selling grapes to several wineries spreads risk. Contract terms, pricing and the buyer list affect value. See our page on vineyard valuation.
• Clones and rootstock matter. Planting choices lock in decades of results. Replanting is expensive and slow.
• A winery is a separate step. Hyde farmed for about thirty years before opening its own winery to visitors. Permits, capital and sales channels for a winery are a different project from farming grapes.

If you are considering land in Carneros or elsewhere in the county, start with our guide to buying a vineyard in Napa or Sonoma and the current vineyards and wineries for sale in Napa County.

Questions people ask

Where is Hyde Vineyards?

In the Carneros district at the south end of Napa County. The estate winery is at 1044 Los Carneros Avenue, Napa.

Is Hyde Vineyards the same as HdV?

No. Hyde Vineyards is the Hyde family’s grower business and estate winery. HdV is a separate winery founded in 2000 by Larry Hyde and Aubert de Villaine that makes wines from Hyde Vineyards fruit.

Can you visit Hyde Vineyards without a reservation?

The winery says it welcomes guests by prior reservation, so book ahead.

Is Carneros in Napa or Sonoma?

Both. The Los Carneros AVA crosses the county line. Hyde’s properties are on the Napa side.

If Carneros land, a vineyard or a home near the vines is on your list, we can help you weigh sites, water and fruit contracts before you commit. Start with our vineyards and wineries services or contact us to talk it through.

Sources & notes

• Hyde Vineyards, official site, including the Our Story page (history, properties, family, certifications, visiting)
• HdV Wines, official site (partnership and address)
• Larry Hyde named 2020 Napa Valley Grower of the Year (Napa Valley Register)
• 27 CFR 9.32, Los Carneros viticultural area (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations)

Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.